Energy providers, meanwhile, are taking extraordinary measures to reroute supplies to the region after the storm knocked out nearly 30-percent of the nation’s refining capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

In some cases, those efforts could lead to lower supplies in other parts of the country, such as Florida.

Experts warn that drivers should not panic because rushing to top off tanks could make the problem worse.

National retail prices could reach as high as $2.75 in the coming days after wholesale prices, a leading indicator, jumped sharply, according to independent projections Friday by GasBuddy.com petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan and Oil Price Information Service analyst Tom Kloza.

Even so, prices remain well below the record of $4.114 from July 2008, AAA data show.

Although the U.S. had some 230 million barrels of gasoline in storage as of Friday – ample supply in a crisis – transporting fuel from